Think Beavis is going blind

[Desley (booktigger)]

Interesting that his eyes aren't showing any signs on a pic, it will be interesting to hear what the vet says.

I know Jane, I really wanted to bring her home, but have to find a home for the 4mo first!!

[Janeyk]

I went to the rescue Zi is from last week, they had picked up a cat off the streets who looked blind to me (her eyes had that glaze on them) and she could use her tray fine, although she did struggle slightly with the bed. Vet has since confirmed she is blind and deaf.

aww, poor cat 

[Kirst]

Beavis stopped going out about 3 years ago - he very very occasionally sits on the patio in the sun but thats it now , he prefers to spen his day snoozing in the conservatory.


Have taken some photos and no reflection - just the normal red eye!

[Desley (booktigger)]

I went to the rescue Zi is from last week, they had picked up a cat off the streets who looked blind to me (her eyes had that glaze on them) and she could use her tray fine, although she did struggle slightly with the bed. Vet has since confirmed she is blind and deaf.

[lilynmitz]

It's amazing how they find their way around.  Even when he first arrived and the trays were pristine and clean Mitz managed to find them - although it took him 24 hours - he must have been busting!  He always finds his food etc, so if Beavis is used to the layout of your house and garden loss of sight won't present too much of a problem to him. The main thing is to keep him within the bounds of your garden - like I said before, if they get out into the big wide world, they're horribly vulnerable and I have heard recently of someone's blind cat escaping and being run over within minutes. 

[Kirst]

Its odd coz he finds the litter tray OK , I am hoping that it is a case of hime being picky/haughty. At the moment he has commandeere the back of the sofa for his own!

[Gillian Harvey]

He is booked in at the vets next week for his boosters - interestingly he is able to leap about from chair to chair in the front room (the furniture is new) and he is perfectly happy in himself.

Hope all goes well at the vets next week. 

[lilynmitz]

My Mitz is almost blind, due to lack of blood supply to his retina, which is congenital and not treatable (similar to dry macular degeneration in humans).     I only found out after I brought him home from a rescue centre where he'd been for 2 years, and as it was slowly deteriorating during that time and he knew every inch of his pen, they hadn't realised he was blind (even their vet missed it).  Then he kept tripping over food bowls, bumping into chair legs when I got him home, but I had already fallen for him so we have just learned to adapt to him.  He found his way round the house brilliantly, and can even navigate round the garden now.   

We had to make the garden completely secure, as if he gets out he would never find his way back again and would be a sitting target for cars, dogs, aggressive cats, bolshy rams (in the back field!) etc.  We don't move furniture around much or leave things lying on the floor for him to trip over. I had to put a scratching post at the top of the stairs to direct him to the middle of the steps, as if he goes to close the edge where the stairs go round a corner and get thinner, he just falls down them, poor lamb! 

I feel sad that he can't have as much fun as other cats, but he's very happy and laid back, and we try to find ways of playing with him that he can engage with.  He even caught a butterfly this summer!! His companion gets a bit fed up with him bumping into her, treading on her etc, but she's pretty tolerant most of the time.  He was trying to get her to play with him the other day, poking her on the sofa with his paw, but she was so surprised she ran away!

Anyway, vet check to see if it is treatable (I hope it is) but if not, don't give up on him.  It's really not that difficult caring for a blind cat, and they can lead very happy lives.

[MrsR]

Sofa is virtually blind and lives a good life as long as we don't move furniture, although every so often she will have a little bump, she even runs around like a nutter in the garden still.

[Kirst]

He is booked in at the vets next week for his boosters - interestingly he is able to leap about from chair to chair in the front room (the furniture is new) and he is perfectly happy in himself.

[Desley (booktigger)]

I agree with the vet visit, in case it is blood pressure related, I think depending on how high the blood pressure, there is a good chance it can be returned, so def worth checking out - when Ginger had to have his done 3 years ago, it was about £12 - he should have been there all afternoon, but he was a very laid back cat, so they didn't have to wait for him to calm down first. Fingers crossed

[Liz]

Kirst quick way is top take a picture and see if there is a reflection on the eye - our Bert went blind at 18 - cataracts so no reaction to the flash

He soon mastered everything and even when we moved we tried tio have the house layout furniture wise the same and he mastered stairs to sleep with us and even found his way on to the top of the weardrobes in our bedroom as he liked to sleep high

He also mastered his new garden and was caught in a trap a few times to looking for that extra treat.  We are the ones who adapted Bert just took it in his stride and lived his whiole life another 3.5 years and a house move with gusto

[Janeyk]

I would just let the vet check it out too Kirst

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

yes and you need to take him to the vet.

kocka was going blind and she had a detached retina which was flappin so sometimes she was blind and othe times she wasnt.

She had high blood pressure which was probably what caused it.

She was also 19yrs old so sight was deterioating cos of age .

Your vet should be able to check , or get an eye person to check what the reason is and how much sight he has. If its high blood pressure meds will help.

Once you know what the situation is then you accomadate Beavis. like not moving items around and allowing him to find his way.

Re-reading your post it maybe he is having problems with his smell and taste but you need to get him checked out asap.

[Kirst]

He seems to have problems fining his dinner sometimes , and doesnt seem to see us. He can hear fine tho - the rattling of the treats box has him running and he can sniff out his food if you out it in front of him.

Does anyone have experience of blind puds?